Berkshires Beat: Nursing Home Residents Share Messages With Public
All is well
As friends and neighbors take to social media to communicate, residents of the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation, part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care in Bennington, Vt., are posting messages their own way. A sign out front of the facility shares the message, "All is well. We miss our community."
Residents aim to update the message a few times a week. For the safety of patients and residents, all except medical visits have been excluded since earlier this month. Those who would like to message residents back can do so by using the hashtag #Love4CLR on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The messages will be shared with CLR residents.
Susan B. Anthony Grant
The Adams Suffrage Centennial Celebration Committee has received a $10,000 grant from the Avangrid Foundation in partnership with Berkshire Gas Company. The grant supports the 2020 celebration of the 200th birthday of Susan B. Anthony, an Adams native, and the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.
This celebration will include the installation of a statue honoring Susan B. Anthony and a three-day festival on August 21, 22 and 23 in Adams that will culminate in a parade and unveiling of the statute on August 23, 2020.
The Avangrid Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization that funds philanthropic investments that primarily impact communities where AVANGRID, Inc. and its subsidiaries operate. Since 2002, the Avangrid Foundation and its predecessors have invested more than $21 million in partnerships that focus on building sustainable, vital and healthy communities; preserving cultural and artistic heritage; advancing education; and improving people’s lives.
Scholarships available
Greylock Federal Credit Union is accepting applications for Community Enrichment Scholarships for students who exemplify positive community spirit and demonstrate respect and concern for their peers in everything they do. Applications and essay requirements are posted online www.Greylock.org, under Get to Know Greylock. Applications are due by Friday, April 17.
Greylock will award up to two $500 scholarships to college-bound seniors at each public high school in Berkshire County. Applicants must be committed to attend a state-accredited or nationally-accredited two or four-year college/university at the time of award. For further information, send an email.
Subsidized farm shares
People who are interested in signing up for a Community Supported Agriculture program from a local farm but are concerned about the cost, take note: Hoosac Harvest is again working with several CSA farms this year to subsidize the cost of shares so that all members of the community have access to local farms and local food.
A limited number of shares are available from Wildstone Farm in Pownal, Vt.; Red Shirt Farm in Lanesborough, Mass.; Many Forks Farm in Clarksburg, Mass.; and Square Roots Farm in Cheshire, Mass.
To find out if you qualify for a lower cost (subsidized) share, contact Hoosac Harvest via email or 413-664-4006. Subsidized shares are based on income and reduce the full share cost by 40 to 60 percent. Payment plans and payment by EBT/SNAP are available.
Hoosac Harvest encourages community members to join a Community Supported Agriculture program, or CSA, for direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown locally. CSA members pay for an entire season of produce early in the year, which helps farmers plan for the growing season, purchase new seed, make equipment repairs, and more. A CSA share typically costs between $500 to $675 for 20 weeks of produce between June and October. A full share is enough for two adults with one or two children, or two veggie lovers; partial shares are also available at some participating local farms.
Cultural Council grants
The Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire has announced grants to be awarded to a very wide array of projects and initiatives by artists and cultural organizations. In all, $63,792 will be awarded to those presenting cultural events and arts projects that will benefit residents of the council's funding communities, which include; Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg. Florida, Hancock, Lanesborough, Monroe, New Ashford, North Adams, Savoy and Williamstown.
This council receives the largest amount of applications statewide. Again this year there were 91 applications; after the evaluation process, the council is able to fund all or part of 78 projects that will occur during 2020. For a complete list of awards, visit the website.
The grants are part of the council’s annual grants program, which is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency that supports public programs and educational activities in the arts, interpretive sciences and humanities.
